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John 20 - "Stop Doubting and Believe!" - Jesus

Click Here to Read Or Listen to John 20   The Empty Tomb It is interesting that Mary Magdalene is the first person to run to the empty tomb and not one of the disciples. When she finds the tomb is empty, she runs to tell Peter. She does not conclude that Jesus had risen from the dead, but that someone had stolen the body.  When Peter and presumably John (aka the other disciple) hear about it, they both run to the tomb. Apparently John was faster on his feet, because he beat Peter the tomb. But, he did not go into the tomb. Peter didn't hesitate to go into the tomb to check out what had happened in keeping with his personality. Peter saw both the cloths of linen they covered his body with and the cloth which they wrapped around Jesus head. Curiously they were neatly separated.  This is one of the things that seems to go against the explanation that someone stole the body out of the tomb. They likely wouldn't have stayed around long enough to leave these two things so neatly orga
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John 19 - Jesus Carried His Own Cross!

Click Here to Read or Listen to John 19 Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified Pilate really did want to be a part of this whole matter of dispute between the Jewish leaders and Jesus. He didn't see any real threat to his power, and only arrested and punished Jesus to appease the Jewish leaders. He realized there was surprisingly a large amount of people who wanted Jesus to be crucified.  The soldiers certainly didn't treat Jesus with any respect, as they forcibly placed a crown of thorns on his head, and dressed him up in a purple robe and also flogged him with whips. They had hoped their treatment of Jesus might calm the religious leaders down, but they cried all the more, " Crucify him! "  Pilate again stated that he found no reason to crucify Jesus. He told the Jewish leaders to crucify Jesus, if they wanted so badly to do it. The Jewish leaders gave their reasoning for their judgment by saying, " Jesus a mere man claimed to be the Son of God." This frightened
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John 18 - What Is Truth?

Click Here to Read or Listen to John 18 Jesus Arrested The Kidron Valley could also be described as a brook that went from the temple out to this valley. Water from the Passover season flowed from the altar and often contained the reddish blood from the Passover lambs. It was a foreshadowing of Jesus' blood, which would flow down from the cross. The place where he went we know from the other gospels is the Garden of Gethsemane. He had spent the night there praying. In the other gospel accounts, we know Jesus had asked the disciples to stay awake praying for him, but they all fell asleep. In the meantime Judas had arranged for a detachment of Roman soldiers and Jewish officials to arrest him.  The commentators say the word "detachment" would mean a large number of troops. It appears they were preparing for a conflict with Jesus and his disciples. Jesus asked them who they wanted and they replied, " Jesus of Nazareth ". Rather than shying away from their inquiry h
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John 17 - What Is the Key To True Unity in the Church???

Click Here to Read or Listen to John 17   Jesus Prays to Be Glorified It's Jesus' last night before he goes to the cross, and he is doing something he always did when something important is about to happen. He prays. And there is a interesting structure to his prayer. First, he prays that he would be glorified. His whole mission was to glorify the Father, and now he is getting ready to be glorified.  Jesus refers to the authority the Father has given him, including the authority to grant eternal life to those the Father had called. Jesus defines eternal life as,  "They know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." This is in large part what Jesus' message has been about. He was sent to reveal the Father's love, so that they might know the Father. He also came so they could know Him, who is equally God. At the heart of what we believe is a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. God wants to know us, and this is what eternal l
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John 16 - Jesus Makes Things Very Simple for the Disciples!

  Click Here to Read or Listen to John 16 Jesus Warns the Disciples Jesus tells the disciples that he has given them these promises so they will not fall away. He goes even as far as to say that there will be a time when someone thinks they are doing God a service by killing them. Though they think they know the Father, they show by their ignorance that they don't know Jesus, or the Father.  Though Jesus is going back to the Father, no one is asking him about it. He knows partly this is because they are already beginning to deal with the grief of him leaving. Yet, he reminds them that it is good for him to go away, because if he does, he will send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  Sin is basically the sin of unbelief or not trusting in Jesus. It is only by being convicted of one's sin by the Holy Spirit and believing in Jesus does one find eternal life. Righteousness is the righteousness that J
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John 15 - The Secret to True and Lasting Joy!

Click Here to Read or Listen to John 15 Vineyards were all over the area where Jesus and his disciples lived, so it would make sense for Jesus to use this metaphor of the Vine and the Branches. Jesus was a master teacher, so he always took examples from nature to teach spiritual truths. I.e. The Sower and the Seed, The Mustard Seed, Yeast in the Bread In this case Jesus calls himself the "True Vine". Once again Jesus is making a claim to be God. In the Old Testament, Israel was the "True Vine" of God. They were God's instrument to make his will known. Jesus is the True Vine and the Father is the Gardener.  Importantly, the purpose of a vine is to bear fruit. The purpose of a Christian is to bear spiritual fruit. So you can see the connection. Jesus says the key to being a fruit-bearing Christian is to stay connected to the Vine, which is Him. The natural outcome of staying connected to, or abiding in Jesus, is to bear fruit. We don't have to try and make fru
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John 14 - All Roads Do Not Lead to God!

Click Here to Read or Listen to John 14 Jesus Comforts His Disciples John 14-17 are some of my favorite chapters in the bible. Jesus has just washed his disciples feet, Judas has betrayed him, and he has predicted that Peter would deny him three times. At this point the disciples might have needed some comfort. There were a lot of unknowns at this point. They knew Jesus was going to die, be raised after three days, and return the Father. But, what exactly did all this mean for them?   So, Jesus starts out chapter 14 by saying, "Do not let your hearts be troubled!"  Jesus had empathy for them. He knew how they were feeling. Jesus urged them to not only trust in God but also in Him. Why?  Because he was going was a place that had lots and lots of rooms. He was preparing a place for them for when they died. If Jesus prepared a place for them, he would certainly come back to take them with him. They he said something interesting,  "You know the way to the place I am going!&q
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